Count Scott Koval is 57 years old. He is a short man with a neat short beard.
As a member of the House of Lords, he is still in his prime, although the House of Lords is derided by liberal scholars as a nursing home.
Some good people have made statistics and found that the average age of members of the Noble Council is 58 years old, which is an average result compared with those members who are in their seventies or even eighty years old.
When he came to the Holy City from the south, Count Koval made many changes, such as asking a person from the Holy City to correct his southern accent, asking an etiquette teacher to correct his walking posture and behavior, and trying to adapt himself to the northern culture.
Diet and climate.
This is to make him look no different from the people in the Holy City.
The subordinate position of the South relative to the North in the political, economic and even artistic life of the empire forced him to make these changes.
The status and wealth he was proud of in his hometown of Genoa were not enough here. When he came to the Holy City, he was just a provincial.
The word "foreign province" itself does not have any derogatory connotation. It is often used in official documents to show the difference from the holy city and the capital. The difference lies in geographical separation and political status.
But the word "foreigner" has a discriminatory meaning. A poor man in the Holy City dares to use this word on his lips, as if he is inherently superior to others.
For a long time, from the First Empire to the Fifth Empire of this dynasty, the unification of Europe has hardly been a problem for southerners.
The northern regimes all adopted the principle of divide and rule towards the south. Since the Fourth Empire, the south has no titles above earl, leaving the south under the rule of smaller lords. These earls, including some viscounts, can be traced back ten generations.
The ancestors of many people had been kings and grand dukes of small southern principalities.
According to statistics, there are about 15,000 noble families in the country. There are 5,000 nobles in the Holy City and Gyeonggi Province. Among the remaining 10,000 nobles, the 17 northern provinces from other provinces account for most of them. The 12 southern provinces have their own nobles.
Not much.
There are 320 members in the Parliament of Nobles. There are only two pitiful places in the southern provinces, and members from the north account for the vast majority. Therefore, among his colleagues in the north, the lowest title is earl, and the others are marquis or even duke.
There are a lot of them, and there is not even a marquis in the south.
So equality does not exist, and even the voices of southerners cannot be heard, and they are drowned in the condescending rebuke of northerners. The strange thing is that southerners seem to be used to this. They only complain and complain, but never really resist
Pass.
But today, Count Koval felt proud. For the first time, he felt that the air in the north was so sweet. Because he had received an invitation from the White House to have dinner with the noble Emperor.
This is a rare honor.
Even the crown prince did not receive this treatment after returning home with a great victory.
In the holy city where there are as many nobles as dogs, he, a southern count, has caused heated discussions among the upper class social circles. For the first time, Count Koval has become the object of attention of the big shots. Everyone is asking who is Count Koval. For a while, he
became the most dazzling political star.
The obvious reason for his invitation soon became apparent: Genoa officially established the 1/20 tax as a universal tax.
In fact, the public opinion in the Holy City's upper-class social circles has a very complicated stance on this.
No aristocrat or bourgeoisie who owns a large amount of land approves of this tax, which is simply poaching their hearts and minds; but those nobles in robes (senior civil servants) warmly welcome it and believe that this is a good start to solve the country's financial difficulties.
It shows the imperial subjects' love for the country and their support for His Majesty the Emperor.
Liberal newspapers vigorously praised the actions of the Genoese people, saying that the Genoese people were truly dedicated citizens. They always advocated the citizenship of freedom, equality and the rule of law, and the 1/20 tax was obviously not targeted.
Graded.
Among them, Carmen Gable, a cutting-edge political commentator born in Genoa, is the most active.
Being able to significantly increase the revenue of the treasury to make up for the growing financial hole in the empire will of course be officially rewarded. Therefore, it is not surprising that Carlos II hosted a private banquet in his palace for Count Covar.
.
Although they regretted the actions of the Genoa Estates-General to "withhold" taxes, such as the 70/30 tax on tea, and the share of the over-collected portion of the total tax including the 1/20 tax, the emperor, prime minister and finance ministers also
He readily admitted it and signed the decree with the fastest efficiency in history.
The emperor and cabinet ministers must reward the Genoese, and a mere dinner is nothing.
Count Koval prepared for this invitation for three days, including newly sewn shirts and coats, newly ordered handmade leather shoes, and even his beard was carefully trimmed.
Prime Minister Fede Caron and Finance Minister Jock Nehwal were also invited, and also present at the dinner was the second prince Philippe Soren.
Count Covar took a royal carriage for the first time in his life and arrived at the White House at six o'clock in the evening. He was so excited that when he saw Carlos I, he was a little gaffey and incoherent.
Carlos I seemed to feel the support of his vassals. Before the arrival of the prime minister and finance minister, he even took the count to visit the White House in person for the first time.
In fact, Count Koval has been here before, but it was with a group of people, and he has never received such attention from His Majesty the Emperor as he did tonight.
"Your noble, kind and wise Majesty, your servant is unable to express the excitement and admiration in his heart at this time..." Count Koval said excitedly.
"Haha, my count, this is the reward you deserve." Carlos II smiled, "Of the thirty provinces in the country, plus the capital region of the Holy City, only you, Genoa, have taken this important step.
I feel the loyalty and enthusiasm of the people from Genoa. I heard it’s like spring there all year round?”
"No, Your Majesty, the summer there is not pleasant." Count Koval replied, "It is relatively muggy for about half the year. Unlike the Holy City, which has four distinct seasons throughout the year, many of us southerners have never seen snow in our lives.
What does it look like."
"Well, that's true." Carlos II nodded, "Scott, when I was young, I traveled to many places in the empire and fought abroad. I even went to Xia Kingdom as the late emperor's special envoy.
But I have never climbed over Mount Otter, which is a pity.”
"As a Genoese, on behalf of your loyal subjects, I would like to solemnly invite you, my supreme monarch, to come to Genoa at the appropriate time." Count Covar felt excited because the emperor called his name affectionately.
"Well, I hope so, but my count, you know, although I am the emperor, I cannot leave the Holy City easily." Carlos I said.